Latest Lists - If my great grandmother was 100% Cherokee Indian, am I "Indian" enough to list myself as native american?

If my great grandmother was 100% Cherokee Indian, am I "Indian" enough to list myself as native american?

I own a small business and many times I have to complete paper work asking for the ethnicity of the employees and the owner, I have never put myself as Indian, but some people have said I should. I just don't feel right about saying I am Native American, since it's somewhat far-removed.

Public Comments

You might want to check on this further with the gov't but I think you might be onto something here. I had a college roommate who was 1/4 American Indian and his tuition was only something like $30/semester...
If there are no other Indians in your ancestry, it would appear that you would be one-eighth Native American. If you are looking into tribal benefits, some tribes extend to that one eighth level, and others cease at the one quarter level. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA indicates that one must be at least one quarter Native American blood to be considered a Native American, along with other qualifications.
You must be on a tribal roll recognized by the federal government, otherwise you are not Native American. Any other requirements are based on that enrollment. All tribes require you to have a direct bloodline to their tribe. .
"I just don't feel right about saying I am Native American, since it's somewhat far-removed." Then listen to that feeling. If you are far removed enough to feel that you shouldn't, than don't. Especially over legal stuff. You don't need to end up being accused of lying or fraud when the only way to prove anything is an expensive DNA test and a tribe's acceptance. And then all that for nothing. IMO *say* it all you want to friends and whatnot, it's not hurting anything, but keep it out of business, etc.